How Twitter reacted to BBC Question Time in Sunderland

David Allison

Fierce political debate took place on Wearside as BBC programme Question Time was broadcast live from a Sunderland school.

Academy 360 in Pennywell was the venue for the show, which was shown on BBC1 at 10.35pm.

Hosted as usual by David Dimbleby, this week’s panel included Culture Secretary, Karen Bradley; the SNP’s International Trade Spokesperson, Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh; Guardian columnist, Polly Toynbee; and the editor of The Spectator, Fraser Nelson.

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell was set to appear, but because of travel problems was unable to make it to Wearside.

An invited studio audience of 150 people witnessed the programme’s recording live from theatre-style seating in the academy’s main hall, with some getting the opportunity to put panellists on the spot with questions from the floor.

A sign on a van outside the school called on Karen Bradley to stop Rupert Murdoch’s bid to take over Sky.

A sign on a van outside Academy 360 in Sunderland where Question Time was being hosted. Picture by Stacey Aldous.

Mr Dimbleby also kindly interviewed pupils from Academy 360 as part of the run through for the programme.

Stevo wrote: “So #bbcqt is in Sunderland, let’s count how many times Nissan is mentioned!”

Speaking about Chancellor Phillip Hammond’s decision to raise the rate of income tax for self-employed workers in this week’s budget, Sara Mason wrote: “No one made a fuss when all public sector workers NI went up. #bbcqt”

David Vance wrote: “The self-employed people of this country are driving the economic prosperity we see. Punishing them is plain wrong!!! #bbcqt”